Devin Lauderdale figures he's all the way back. Now, to prove it, the Texas Tech wide receiver just needs to score a touchdown and throw a crushing block - that other skill for which he's known.

Lauderdale, reinstated in June from a six-month suspension for academics, said he's had to pay his dues to regain the respect of the Red Raiders' staff.

It wasn't as if he walked back into the Tech Football Training Facility and everything fell into place.

"Nothing fell back into place," he said this week. "Every coach up here made it harder on me, and they told me from the jump they were going to try to push me, you know what I'm saying? Try to get me out of my comfort zone, so nothing was given to me."

The senior from Houston Bellaire appears to have regained his starting job, which wasn't a given considering the presence of touted transfer Derrick Willies and sophomore Tony Brown. But Lauderdale seems to have met the challenge over the past month.

"I feel like I did great because of the competition that was behind me," Lauderdale said, "and I know they were pushing me."

That competition's not going away. It should only get better. One ace Lauderdale's always had up his sleeve, though, is a zeal for making big hits. He's gotten acclaim for his two-blocks-on-one-touchdown two years ago at UTEP, and the way he waylaid a Texas cornerback last season, and neither of those were even his favorites.

"It never gets noticed," Lauderdale said, "but the Arkansas game, I came back on somebody."

Explaining his thirst for the big hit, Lauderdale said, "When I came my (first) year, something had to stand out about me. We had a lot of great receivers. Coach Morris pushed us to block and be physical. That's one thing we want in this offense, so that's what I had to do."

Lauderdale last year caught 43 passes for 639 yards - both second on the team to Jakeem Grant - and four touchdowns. He returned to the program post-suspension, in his words, out of shape, third string and working hard to get his spot back.

He believes he's accomplished that.

He says he learned a lesson along the way.

"Take nothing for granted," he said. "Cherish every moment. These four years only come once, so we have to make the best of them."

Package plan

Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said sophomore inside receiver Keke Coutee will be the extra skill-position player when the Red Raiders go to a five-wides, empty-backfield set.

"He's got a really natural way of running routes and catching the football," Kingsbury said. "Things come pretty easy to him. And so I think if we can get the ball in his hands early, he's got a chance to make a bunch of plays for us."

"They can do different things," Kingsbury said. "Cam's a very smart guy, a valedictorian in school, a good leader for us. Tough, physical in the run game blocking.

"And then Keke can really fly and does everything very smoothly, so I think they balance each other. I see them getting about equal reps regardless who starts."

Another delay

Tech was about 40 minutes into Tuesday's practice when the Red Raiders experienced another lightning-related weather delay, their third this month. Even if it's an inconvenience, Kingsbury said the team can make practical use of the circumstance.

"It's good practice in case those things happen in a game: You have lightning, you have to go in the locker room and come back out and be ready to go," Kingsbury said. "So we just kind of spin it that way."

The Red Raiders have had games delayed by weather more than once in recent years: 2011 road games at New Mexico and Oklahoma and the 2013 home opener against Stephen F. Austin.